Tape Roller Accessory

ABSTRACT

A tape roller accessory that allows a person to adapt a standard GaffGun™ tape roller to accept standard rolls of tape other than the tape the Gafftech company provides. The adapter includes a metal shaft with threads on one end that screw into the standard GaffGun™ assembly and threads on the opposite end to accept a threaded thumbnut that helps retain truncated cone members which in turn support a 2″, 3″ or other width of standard tape roll. The truncated cone members can be made of resilient material to frictionally grab the edges of the core of a standard tape role.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of tape roller accessories and more specifically to tape roller accessory that allows a person to use any standard tape in a GaffGun™ type tape roller.

There are occasions where it is necessary to hold down cables onto the floor so that people will not accidentally trip over the cables.

To this end, it is common for people to apply adhesive tape to the cable to adhere it to the ground plane thereby minimizing the possibility of tripping over the cable. In recent times, a special tool has been developed in which a person can insert a roll of tape into a carriage and, using an extension handle, roll the tape out over the cable without bending down.

However, there is a deficiency in this prior technology in that the special tool mentioned above only accepts adhesive tape made by the manufacturer of the tool. It would be advantageous to be able to modify to tool so that it can take other commonly available tapes, and tapes of different widths.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INSTANT INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tape roller accessory that allows a person to install a variety of commonly available adhesive tapes into a GaffGun™ tape roller. Currently only CoreLock™ tapes made by Gafftech can be used with a GaffGun™ tape roller.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a tape roller accessory comprising: a metal shaft, a first right truncated cone member, a second right truncated cone member, a bearing, a washer, a spacer, a thumbnut member, the metal shaft having a standard right handed thread on one end and a left handed thread on the opposite end, the metal shaft having an enlarged diameter in the space between the right handed thread and the left handed thread, the metal shaft also having a centrally located aperture penetrating perpendicularly , the right handed thread capable of threadebly inserting into the female threaded shaft aperture of a standard GaffGun™ tape roller, the bearing centrally inserted into a recess in the thumbnut member, the washer located between the bearing and the first truncated cone member, the second truncated cone member abutting the right hand thread portion of the metal shaft, the spacer capable of being inserted onto the metal shaft for accommodating three inch wide tape, the spacer capable of being removed from the metal shaft for accommodating two inch wide tape, the truncated cone members each having a central aperture slightly larger than the enlarged diameter of the metal shaft, the first truncated cone slid onto the metal shaft so that the edges of the truncated cone slant inward towards the center of the metal shaft, the second truncated cone slid onto the metal shaft so that the edges of the second truncated cone member are a mirror image of the first truncated cone member, the thumbnut capable of being threaded onto the left handed thread of the metal shaft enabling the first and second truncated cone members to be secured onto the metal shaft, and the first and second truncated cone members capable of acting as a rotatable retainer for a standard two or three inch wide roll of tape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the instant invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the instant embodiments may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the instant embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the invention attached to a “GaffGun™ ” tape roller.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the invention attached to a “GaffGun™” tape roller.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the invention ready to be attached to the

“GaffGun™” tape roller.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the “GaffGun™” roller with the custom shaft of the present invention installed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tightening tool in the process of screwing in the custom shaft.

FIG. 6 is a front section vie bisecting the shaft portion of the invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing alternate truncated cone shaped members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a side view of a “GaffGun™” tape roller 50, also referred to as a GaffGun™ tape applicator, or as a GaffGun™ tape dispenser, with a roll of tape 2 mounted onto the present embodiment 100 of the instant invention which includes a special shaft 8 and truncated cone members 6, 12 that hold a standard roll of tape 2 in place. A thumbnut 4 threads onto shaft 8 to hold the truncated cone members 6, 12 in place.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the “GaffGun™” tape roller 50 with the present embodiment 100 of the instant invention held in place via retaining thumbnut 4. Tape roll 2 can roll freely due to a bearing located in a recess in thumbnut 4 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the tape accessory embodiment 100 as it is about to be attached to tape roller device 50. Metal shaft member 8 screws into threaded aperture 52 on the tape roller device 50. Spacer 10 can be inserted onto shaft 8 if a person would like to use two-inch-wide tape. The spacer 10 can be eliminated if a person would like to use three-inch-wide tape. A first truncated cone shaped member 12 is attached via central aperture 30 onto right-hand threaded end 20 of shaft member 8. The end 20 is then attached to threaded aperture 52 of the tape roller device 50. The inward facing angle of the edge of first truncated cone member 12 along with the mirror image second truncated cone member 6, helps to trap the core of tape roll 2, causing the roll of tape 2 to remain rotatably fixed on shaft 8. The truncated cone members are preferably made of resilient material such as rubber or thermoplastic elastomer to provide an additional frictional gripping force on the edges of the core inner diameter of tape roll 2. Washer 14 provides a small spacer between bearing 16 and the outer surface of second truncated cone member 6. The truncated cone members 6, 12 are located on the right side 18 of the shaft 8 by inserting the right side 18 through centrally located apertures 32, 30 of the truncated cones members 6 and 12. The left-handed thread 18 engages matching internal threads in thumbnut 4 which locks the entire assembly 100 together. The left-hand direction of the threads helps prevent the thumbnut 4 from unscrewing during use.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing right hand screw threads 20 of shaft 8 screwed into the side wall of the tape roller 50. The central aperture 22 in the shaft 8 allows for the use of a cross bar 24 as shown in FIG. 5 to securely tighten the shaft 8 onto the tape roller 50 sidewall. The increased diameter of the central portion of shaft 8 allows the first and second truncated cone shaped members 6, 12 to about the shaft walls 36 to enforce the ideal distance between the members 6, 12 for holding a roll of two or three-inch-wide tape.

FIG. 6 is a section view of the invention shown attached to the tape roller device 50. Right hand thread 20 is threaded into aperture 52. First and second truncated cone shaped members 6, 12 are forced against the edges of the enlarged diameter portion of shaft 8. Bearing 16 is inserted into a recess in thumbnut 4 along with washer 14 ensuring that the first and second truncated cone shaped members 6, 12 will rotate freely.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing alternate cone shaped members 12A, 6A that are specifically designed to hold GaffGun™ Corelock™ tapes. The stepped configuration shown 30 in each cone shaped member 12A, 6A cause a snug fit with the above mentioned GaffGun™ Corelock™ tapes.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the claims, the word ‘comprising’ does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps then those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as “one, or more than one.” Also, the use of introductory phrases such as “at least one” and “one or more” in the claims should not be construed to imply that the introduction of another claim element by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an.” The same holds true for the use of definite articles. Unless stated otherwise, terms such as “first” and “second” are arbitrarily used to distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A GaffGun™ tape roller accessory for applying and dispensing adhesive tape from an adhesive tape roll comprising: a metal shaft, the metal shaft comprising: a first end, a second end, a shaft section between the shaft first end and the shaft second end; the first end furthermore comprising a standard right-handed thread enabling the metal shaft to be threadedly inserted into a female threaded shaft aperture of a standard GaffGun™ tape roller; the second end comprising a left-hand thread, wherein the diameter of the shaft second end is not more than the diameter of the first end; wherein furthermore the diameter of the shaft section between the shaft first end and the shaft second end is larger than the diameter of the shaft threaded ends; the metal shaft section between the metal shaft first end and the metal shaft second end comprising an aperture essentially longitudinally centered, radially disposed and perpendicularly penetrating the metal shaft therefore enabling a crossbar to be inserted into the metal shaft to assist tightening the threadedly inserted metal shaft into the female threaded shaft aperture of a standard GaffGun™ tape roller; a radial bearing; a thumbnut comprising a radially centered recess, wherein the radial bearing is inserted into the radially centered recess; a first and a second identical truncated right cone members comprising an aperture along the axis of the truncated right cone members, wherein the diameter of the aperture along the axis of the truncated right cone members is slightly larger but essentially the same as diameter of the shaft section between the metal shaft first end and the metal shaft second allowing it to be rotatably slid onto the metal shaft section between the metal shaft first end and the metal shaft second end; wherein the base of the first truncated right cone is facing the female threaded shaft aperture of a standard GaffGun™ tape roller; wherein furthermore the base of the second right cone member is facing away from the female threaded shaft aperture of a standard GaffGun™ tape roller wherein furthermore the base of the second truncated right cone is abutting the threaded shaft second end; the axial length of the shaft section between the shaft threaded ends is essentially equal to the sum of the width of the widest adhesive tape roll and the width of the two truncated right cones; a spacer, wherein the spacer is slid over the metal shaft first end to accommodate an adhesive tape roll of width smaller than the axial length of the shaft section between the shaft threaded ends; and the adhesive tape roll disposed on the metal shaft, between the first and the second right cone members acting as a rotatable tape roll retainer frictionally retaining the adhesive tape roll by force inserted on the second right cone member by the thumbnut, wherein furthermore a washer is slid onto the metal shaft between the second right cone member base and the radial bearing.
 2. A GaffGun™ tape roller accessory as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second truncated right cone members are made of resilient material. 